Monday, March 21, 2011

Ukraine's nuclear gamble continues despite Chernbil and Fukushima

Interest in ecological tours tours of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant has soared on the eve of the 25 th anniversary of the greatest catastrophe in the history of civil atom. A curiosity for this ghostly scene of the accident contributed Fukushima, saying the travel agency that organizes years trips from Kiev.

A day in Chernobyl exclusion zone and a radius of 30 miles costs $ 180 (127 euros). For this sum you can see how nature, left to itself, splits, feral and engulfs an urban environment and Pripyat. In this town, whose 50,000 inhabitants were evacuated in a day, you may still be portrayed next to the shield of the Soviet Union and also to find "private objects" as "kitchen utensils and toys," says advertising of extreme tourism.

Despite the trauma and the accident radiophobia father, Ukraine is firmly committed to nuclear energy, which generates 50% of its electricity. In total, operating four plants (Khmelnytskyi, Rovno, South Ukraine and Zaporozhye) with 15 reactors, all of Soviet origin and belonging to two different types.

Ukrainian nuclear program until 2030 plans to build new reactors and extend the life of those in operation. However, the lack of funds could force Kiev to lower their plans, according to Kommersant newspaper reported before the tsunami in Japan. The Ukrainian Government has already established a monitoring group of the loss of Fukushima and has decided to increase the resistance of plants against possible shock waves from earthquakes.

Unlike Japan, Ukraine is located in a seismic fault, although it has some sensitive areas such as Crimea. "We cure to minimize health risks, and reassure the public guarantee that we will implement new security measures in the shortest time possible," said David Zhvania, former Minister of Emergency Situations and now deputy of the Our Ukraine (party of former President Viktor Yusko).

Zhvania, a convinced supporter of nuclear weapons, IAEA officials said that U.S. experts suggested the need for increased protection of reactors in Fukushima in 2005 during an international conference in Japan, attended as a minister. "Chernobyl should have been a lesson to Fukushima," he says.

The Chernobyl disaster, according Zhvania was the result of a mixture of human error, incompetence in the salvage and poor information policy. The former minister is concerned that EU countries are now more hesitant about the atom and explains that Ukraine can be a major exporter of nuclear energy when developing electric transmission infrastructure, very poor.

"Supporters and leaders of atomic energy should not be allowed to prevent the nuclear renaissance," he says. The EU through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is the main contributor to international projects to ensure the safety of Chernobyl. A donor conference to be held April 19 in Kiev, will seek 740 million euros.

That is the amount needed for the construction of a new sarcophagus of reactor number 4 (the claims), the management of the other three reactors, unemployed since 2000, and treatment facilities for radioactive waste. So far we have collected 1,200 million euros for this purpose. Retake the territory closest to Chernobyl for human activity is a very long-term task.

For now, the exclusion zone is a paradise of flora and fauna, where some farmers barely survive, usually older, who were not resigned to abandon their homes. The liquidators who risked their health from radiation center today to fight to have recognized their rights to compensation and benefits, while the government tries to reduce the budget allocated to this category of citizens.

The debate on the safety and necessity of nuclear energy in Ukraine is heavily contaminated by emotions and mixed with ideological schemes on the sovereignty and independence of the state, as seen on Friday in a debate organized by the journalist Savik Schuster in the first Ukrainian TV channel.

A survey conducted under age 21 during the teledebate indicated that 80% were in favor of developing nuclear energy in Ukraine. Although not representative of the general mood, the survey indicated the trend of educated sector of the youth who was not born when the accident occurred. Russia provides the fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants and waste storage.

With the arrival of Viktor Yanukovych in the Ukrainian presidency in 2010, this collaboration has been expanded with new plans. Russia will extend the operation of two reactors that are draining its resources and finance and build two new reactors at the nuclear power Jmelntiski. In addition, the Russian company and the state commission TVEL Nuclear Fuel of Ukraine have signed an agreement to build in the territory of this country a factory for nuclear fuel.

Uranium enrichment, however, will be at the International Uranium Enrichment Angarsk in Siberia. When the USSR disintegrated, these two countries, both producers of uranium, renounced the nuclear weapons inherited from the USSR and transferred to Russia. Ukraine received in exchange for fuel for their plants.

As part of diversification of suppliers, Kiev is seeking new members and is the scene of a fierce competition between the Russian nuclear industry and Western companies. NPP In southern Ukraine has begun using Westinghouse fuel, under a contract signed in 2008 during the reign of President Viktor Yusko.

Westinghouse fuel factory in Sweden uranium in Ukraine. The Ukrainian nuclear industry has a high technical level and employs tens of thousands of people. Today there pronuclear between pro-Russian Ukrainians in favor of existing industrial integration in Soviet times, pronuclear pro-Western, pro-business diversification into the U.S.

and the EU. There is also a stronghold of ultra small, they still criticize the delivery of Russian nuclear potential and are in favor of Kiev claiming a nuclear power status.

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